August 1 – hard to believe, isn’t it? I have not received many finishes for July – was it just too hot to sew, were you vacationing, or just plain bored with the Dirty Dozen game?
The number for August is eight – 8 – find your UFO labeled 8 and finish it before the end of August. Please send a picture of your finished quilt to my email – maryehazel2020@gmail.com.
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood – last day of the fair. Tonight the quilts come down. I’m off to church.
Log Cabin Blue Jeans can be your next “use it up” project! Grab your leftover strips and a pile of old jeans and start cutting. Rosemary suggests sewing blocks together and then carefully snipping the seam to create a ragged back – something we didn’t think of at the time we made the pattern. It’s such a good idea!!!
And who doesn’t have old jeans and leftover strips?
Here is my Tilda quilt top.
This was NOT a good pattern to use with this fabric – I should have incorporated some solids – too late now but wanted you to be aware of my bad decision so you didn’t do the same thing.
Reader quilts
We had .4 of rain last night – the grass just continues to grow, doesn’t it?
Found online – isn’t it wonderful?
I have so enjoyed our discussion on binding and judges – I’ve been thinking of making a check off sheet for future judging. One of the readers, Kathy W. I think, had such a list for fair entries and I think it’s the answer. You can help me by giving me YOUR list of absolute must-sees and I will post the sheet here when I finish. I think I should go to the state fair to look at the quilts – except you’re not allowed to touch them so Im not sure I’d be able to see those corners. Maybe a “quilt watcher” with gloves on could show me? What do you think?
Another thing she didn’t like was raw edge applique that wasn’t done with a solid satin stitch. I have done machine applique with a tiny zigzag stitch on top of fused pieces but she’s probably right that it won’t hold up for repeated washings. I personally don’t like satin stitch applique – it shrinks up the applique area so the quilt does not lay flat.
Areas north and east of us are getting rain this morning – none for us. It’s amazing to me that my grass continues to grow! And I mowed it yesterday again. After lunch my friends Darwin and Betsy came with their goat “lift” to trim those bad hooves. She’ll have to learn to walk straight again!
This is what greeted me yesterday morning – it’s fair week so that means my orchid cactus is blooming!
Each time it blooms I am once again astonished at the size, the color, the beauty of this flower!!!
Reader quilts:
One more comment about the judge and then I’ll shut up – I was so glad I was there to explain the Bullseye quilt and process to her because she took one look at a lovely bullseye quilt and pointed out that the quarter circles didn’t match. UGH!!! I took complete credit for the technique and tried to justify it to her but she didn’t like it – of course the maker got a blue ribbon from her anyway which it deserved.
It’s back to work on my Tilda fabrics this morning as soon as I finish doing the barn chores. In my next post I’m going to ask for updates from specific readers whom I have kept notes on regarding health or family issues. I’d like to think we’re our own little prayer chain!
Heads up for next post!!